Coupling



Aug. 15, 1939.

A. L. CURRY Filed Sept. 28, 1937 COUPLING 4 Sheets-Sheet -l InventorAiforneys A. L. CURRY Aug. 15, 1939.

COUPLING Filed Sept. 28, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Alforneys A. L.CURRY Aug. 15, 1939.

COUPLING 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 28, 1937 R ms ' A iiorneys Aug.15, 1939. A RRY 2,169,636

COUPLING Filed Sept. 28, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I [nu ZZZ/2 1v}? UNITE,s'r 'r PTENT COUPLING Arnold Lee Curry, Lundale, W. Va., assignor ofone-third to Hardin Wright, Lundale, W. Va.

Application September 28, 1937, Serial No. 166,177

1 Claim.

This invention relates to couplings, more particularly draft couplings,and an object of the present invention is to provide a coupling of thischaracter which may be used with equal efficiency for coupling minecars, logging cars, motor trucks, and which may also be used as atrailer coupling.

The invention together with its objects and ad vantages will be bestunderstood from a study l of the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the coupling.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

5 Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the operating coupler-head.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the operatingcoupler-head.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 ofFigure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a release lever.

Figure '7 is a longitudinal sectional view through the linkcoupler-head.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a coupling .0 link, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a sliding trip member.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it will be seen that inthe preferred embodiment thereof the coupling comprises an operatingcoupler-head indicated generally by the reierence numeral 5 and a linkcoupler-head indi cated generally by the reference numeral 5.

The link coupler-head 6 comprises a relatively flat narrow elongatedcasing i that is secured by bolts or similar fastening elements 8 and 9to the draft bar in of one of the vehicles to be cou pled together.

At the open end thereof the casing i is flared as at H, and the bolt 9serves as a pivot for a coupling link l2 which adjacent oneend thereofis apertured as at l3 to accommodate the bolt 9, and at said end is alsoprovided with an apertured lug or extension it through the medium ofwhich one end of a coil spring 55 is connected with link. The other endof the coil spring i5 is engaged with the bolt 8 which latter alsoserves as an anchoring means for the spring l5.

Disposed about the bolt is and providing a rest or support for thepivoted end of the link I2 is a collar it, while disposed on the bolt 9and interposed between the link I2 and the top wall of the mouth I I ofthe casing I is a coil spring I! which yieldably acts on the pivoted endof the link i?! to seat the latter on the collar 56.

The link I2 is provided with an elongated slot 3 [B for a purposehereinafter made manifest.

The operating coupler-head 5 comprises a casing 59 of metal or othersuitable material mount ed on the draft bar 26 of a second vehicle 2iand 4 having an open end arranged directly behind and in line with aflared head. 22 provided on one end of the draft bar 2!! and serving asan entrance mouth for the casing 59 of the operating couplerhead 5.

Also mounted above the mouth 22 forming part of the coupler-head 5 is acasing 23 which is also bolted or otherwise secured as at 24 to a bodypart 25 of the vehicle 2!. The casing 23 forms a housing for a lockingpin 23 that works through the top of the casing Id at one end of achamber 27 provided in said casing, and also through an opening 28provided in the draft bar 20 immediately rearwardly of the entrancemouth 22.

At the upper end thereof the locking pin is provided with a cross-head2? that is aperturcd to accommodate a pair of fixed guide rods 29arranged within the casing 23 and connected at their upper ends by across-bar 36. (See Figure 5.)

Disposed about the guide rods 29 and. bearing on the cross-head 2'1 forurging pin 23 downwardly are coil springs 3|.

Cross-head 21 of the pin is also provided with a lateral lug orextension 32 which is received within the notch 33 of a depending stoplug 34 provided on the cross-bar when the pin 23 is in a fully raisedposition.

For releasably securing the locking pin 26 in its extreme raisedposition there is slidably mounted in the chamber 2? of the operatingcoupler-head a slide member 35 that at one end thereof is provided witha lip or projection 36 adapted to engage in a notch. 3'! in the free orlower end of the pin 2% when the latter is in the aforementioned extremeraised position.

The iatch member 35 is normally urged into a position toengage the lip36 thereof with the notch 31 of pin 25 through the medium of a. coilspring 33 that is disposed about a rod 39 and impinges at one endagainst the slide 35 and at a relatively opposite end against anapertured guide t!) through which the rod 39 works, rod 39 beingthreaded or otherwise secured at one end thereof in engagement with theslide 35.

At the free end thereof rod 39 has pivoted thereto a lever A! thatextendsdownwardly through the bottom of the compartment or chamber 2? tobe accommodated between. a pair of abutments d2, 43 carried by a slideplate 44 that has a sliding fit within the casing I9 as shown in Figure4.

The slide member 44 is normally urged to a projected position throughthe medium of a coil spring 45 that is disposed about a rod 46 andimpinges at one end against the abutment 43 and at a relatively oppositeend against an apertured guide 41 through which the rod 46 works.

Rod 46 at one end thereof is suitably secured to the abutment 43 of theslide 44, and the free end thereof is provided with a stop collar 48.

Abutment 43 has extending forwardly therefrom a plate-like extension 49that normally is arranged in the path of the pin 26 so that normally thepin 26 is held in a raised position by reason of the lower end of thepin 26 resting on the plate-like extension 49.

For raising the pin 26 there is provided a lever 50 that is pivotedadjacent one end thereof as at 5| to a bracket 52 suitably mounted onthe aforementioned part of the vehicle 2|.

The lever 50 has an offset cam-like end 55 that extends through one sideof the casing 23 beneath the lug extension 32 of pin 26 for engagingsaid extension 32 to raise the pin 26 upon a swinging movement of thelever 5B in a clockwise direction (see Figure 3).

At the pivoted end thereof lever 50 is provided with a suitable handle56.

A spring 51 has the coiled intermediate portion thereof disposed aboutthe pivot 5| while one end 51a of the spring engages the handle 56 andthe other end 51b of the spring is connected to the body part 25 of thevehicle as at 58. Thus it will be seen that spring 51 tends normally torock or rotate the lever 50 in a counter-clockwise direction.

The utility, advantages and operation of a coupling embodying thefeatures of the present invention will be apparent from the following:

Normally pin 26 is in a raised position so that the lower end thereofrests on the plate-like extension 49 of slide 44 which latter underaction of spring is normally in a projected position.

To couple the two vehicles H] and 2| together the slotted end of link l2enters the mouth 22 of the operating coupler-head 5 and engages theabutment 42 forcing slide 44 to the right in Figure 4 against the actionof spring 45 until the plate-like extension 49 of the slide clears thelower end of pin 26 whereupon the latter, under action of spring 3|,will move downwardly through the slot ill in the link [2 and into theopening 28 thus effecting a coupling of the vehicles.

To uncouple the vehicles the operator by gripping handle 56 swings thelever upwardly or in a clockwise direction so that the end of the leverengages the lug extension 32 of pin 26 causing the pin to move upwardlyuntil the lug 32 engages the notched stop lug 33 at which point notch 21will be in line with the extension 36 of latch 35 which, under action ofspring 38 will spring into engagement with the notch 3'! thus releasablyholding the pin 26 in this raised position.

However it will be noted that as the link I2 is withdrawn through themouth 22 of the couplerhead 5 slide 44 under action of spring 45 will beforced toward the left in Figure 4, and when abutment 43 engages thelever 4| of rod 39, the lever 4| fulcruming at the point will cause theslide 35 to retract, or in other words to slide toward the right inFigure 4 thus withdrawing the extension 36 of the slide from out ofengagement with the notch 31. This will release the pin 26 which underaction of springs 3! will then move downwardly through the bottom of thechamber 2? and come to rest on the plate extension 49 of slide 44 whichwill at that time be in its extreme projected or forward position, whichis the extreme position at the left in Figure 4. Thus the plateextension 49 will serve to hold the pin 26 in a raised position,whereupon the parts are now in a position to again receive the link 12when a recoupling of the vehicles is desired.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a coupling devicewhich may be used on railway cars, mine cars, or on trucks and trailers,and which will be efiicient in operation and meet the requirements of acoupling device of this character.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In a coupler of the character described, an operating coupler-head. alink coupler-head having a link pivotally associated therewith, saidlink having a free end adapted to be inserted into said operatingcoupler-head, the free end of said link being provided with a slot, aslide member in said operating coupler-head having an abutment at itsouter end to be engaged by said link to move inwardly of the operatingcoupler-head incidental to an insertion of the slotted end of the linkinto said operating coupler-head, an outwardly extending projection onthe upper part of the abutment, a vertically movable coupling pin havinga lower end resting on said projection when the slide is in projectingposition, spring means for projecting the slide member, spring meansengaged with said coupling pin for normally urging the latterdownwardly, means for manually raising said coupling pin, a secondspring-pressed slide member located above the first-mentioned slidemember for holding the pin in raised position with its lower end abovethe projection of the first slide member, a depending lever pivotallyconnected with the second slide member, a second abutment on the innerend of the first slide member for engaging the lever as the first slidemember approaches the end of its outward movement, for moving the secondslide member to a position to release the pin to permit the pin toengage the projection of the first slide member and a stationary fulcrumpart in front of an intermediate part of the lever for causing the leverto move the second slide memher to pin releasing position when the leveris engaged by the second abutment.

ARNOLD LEE CURRY.

